Skip to main content
Bear Digest

New Bears Defensive Tackle Stronger Where Earlier Signings Struggled

Former Titans and Vikings defensive tackle James Lynch signed with the Bears and adds a skill set different than both Kentavius Street and Neville Gallimore.
Gene Chamberlain|
Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun scrambles against Tennessee Titans defensive tackle James Lynch.
Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun scrambles against Tennessee Titans defensive tackle James Lynch. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The excitement over the return of Bears fan favorite Jack Sanborn on a one-year deal virtually hid the fact they signed another player at the same time.

It's someone who could actually provide something they really need on defense that GM Ryan Poles hadn't supplied with earlier signings he made this free agent period.

James Lynch signed a one-year deal. The 6-foot-4 295-pound Titans free agent defensive tackle is a former Minnesota Vikings draft pick from Baylor who has done something better than both of the defensive tackles the Bears signed earlier in free agency—Neville Gallimore and Kentavious Street. He stops the run.

Lynch has never been a starter but he did was 46th among 134 defensive tackles at stopping the run last year according to Pro Football Focus. In the previous season, he ranked 37th out of 132 defensive tackles stopping the run. While with the Vikings in 2022, he was 16th out of 127.

In their 13 combined seasons, Street and Gallimore had one  season between the two of them when they graded in the top half of the league at stopping the run per PFF grades.

He's no pass rusher

Lynch has never been much of a pass rusher with 3 1/2 sacks and a career season high of one sack. He played all 17 games for Tennessee the last two seasons in a reserve role and on special teams, with only one start. He has started four out of 71 NFL games he played.

Still, the Bears need as much help as possible at finding a way to stop the run after they finished 27th at it last year and 28th the previous season.

Lynch suffered a torn ACL in Minnesota in 2023 and didn't return the next season, signing then with the Titans.

Sanborn probably isn't an answer of any sort for this at linebacker, either. He'll come in and try to find a way to make the 53-man roster. Injury could favor his attempt, as could his special teams abilities.

In his first Bears stint, Sanborn made 11 special teams tackles between 2022-24, in addition to filling in as a part-time starter and then a full-time starter after the trade of Roquan Smith to Baltimore. When he signed last year with Dallas and followed Matt Eberflus there, Sanborn suffered a season-ending groin injury after just six games before going on injured reserve.

Sanborn could actually have a chance to earn back his former role of starting strong side linebacker, or will compete for that job.

Noah Sewell was the strong side after Sanborn left and suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Dec. 28 loss by the Bears at San Francisco. Expecting Sewell back for the start of the season would be wishful thinking and it's possible he might not even be ready until the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, Sanborn, the Lake Zurich native, is left to battle with D'Marco Jackson, 2025 rookie Rueben Hyppolite II for the strong side position behind starting middle T.J. Edwards and starting weakside Devin Bush.

Edwards is another of the injured linebackers they had last year. He suffered a fractured fibula against the Packers in the playoffs and will need some time to get back to 100%.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.